


Echoes of the Past

by Ink_Gypsy



Series: Sanctuary Singles [15]
Category: Lord of the Rings RPF (AU)
Genre: AU, M/M, Sanctuary, Sean Astin/Elijah Wood - Freeform, birthday mathom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 03:38:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12050508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: Elijah has a scare that he hides from Sean.





	Echoes of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a birthday mathom to my friends on September 9, 2017.
> 
> Part of my Sanctuary universe. Follows the timeline of the original story, happening after Elijah surprises Sean with the blog he’s created for him.

[](https://imgur.com/eqdZrH9)

[ ](https://imgur.com/pOKnWCs)

As much as Sean appreciated the blog Elijah had created for him, he was happy to let Elijah maintain and update it. Not that there was much to update since Sean was still working on his new book. He still couldn’t get over how much work Elijah had put into the blog, uploading photos of his books’ dustcovers and reproducing excerpts from them by hand. He’d even included a place for comments from visitors.

Sean didn’t expect there would be any. He hadn’t had a new book out for years, and assumed his readers had given up on him. He was proud that he hadn’t been a one-book wonder, but he also knew that in the publishing world, you were only as good as your last success, and with so many books being published each year, many from new authors, without something new in the pipeline from him, it wouldn’t take book buyers long to forget about him. Sean imagined they probably already had.

He didn’t share any of these negative thoughts with Elijah. After all the hard work his young lover had put into the blog, Sean knew hearing that he considered his writing career not just stalled, but pretty much over, would only make Elijah feel bad for reminding him of what he’d lost, which was the last thing Sean wanted. He’d been extremely touched by Elijah’s gift, but he didn’t expect anyone besides the two of them would have any interest in it.

Elijah checked the blog every day with great enthusiasm and expectation, and Sean could see how disappointed he was when he found nothing new. Sean didn’t expect that to change, but a week after Christmas, while sitting at the laptop, Elijah suddenly let out a whoop and called out excitedly, “Sean, you’ve gotta see this!”

Assuming Elijah wanted him to see a video online, Sean went to Elijah’s desk and stood behind his chair, looking over his shoulder at the laptop screen.

Instead of a cat or music video, the screen on Elijah’s laptop showed Sean’s blog. “Look at this!” Elijah said excitedly, pointing to the comments section.

To Sean’s surprise, there were dozens of comments, and as Elijah scrolled down the page, he could see that they were all positive. “I thought they’d forgotten me,” he mused.

“They didn’t forget you,” Elijah replied, “but they sure missed you. Every one of them says how much they love your books, and most of them ask when your next book is coming out.”

“I never imagined,” Sean said, truly moved by the words he was reading. "Elijah, if you hadn’t created this blog, I never would have known this many people were still interested in my writing.”

Elijah turned to look at Sean, obviously proud. “You should answer some of these, Sean,” he suggested. “Tell them you’re working on a new book.”

Sean squeezed Elijah’s shoulders. “Not yet. I don’t want to jinx it.”

Elijah tried to hid his disappointment. “Okay,” he said, nodding. “Maybe later.”

Elijah continued to check the blog for comments every day. After the first week or so, Sean thought the novelty would wear off, but Elijah showed no sign of his enthusiasm for the project waning any time soon. He had stopped bringing every comment to Sean’s attention, but saved his notifications for those he considered especially good ones.

While he was happy to know his readers hadn’t forgotten him, Sean was getting more pleasure from the joy Elijah derived from seeing the response from Sean’s fans than from the responses themselves. Sean wanted to tell him to take a break from the blog, to get back to his photography, but Elijah seemed so delighted that his gift had been a success that Sean didn’t have the heart to suggest it.

Elijah was always happy now, looked healthy and content, totally different from the young man who had come to him, abused and frightened. Sean thought the bad times were behind them, so he was surprised to be awoken in the middle of the night by Elijah, who was in the throes of a nightmare, something that hadn’t happened since he’d first appeared at the cabin. 

Sean turned on the bedside lamp, unsure of whether to wake him or let the nightmare continue. Hearing Elijah’s frightened voice cry out “No Pedar!” while his arms flailed, it was obvious what the nightmare was about. Unable to watch the man he loved in such emotional turmoil, Sean took hold of Elijah’s shoulders and gently shook him. Elijah came out of it slowly, striking out at Sean before he was fully awake, then seeing Sean, all the fight went out of him and he slumped against him. “You’re okay, baby,” Sean crooned. “It’s all over. You’re safe now.” Rather than ask questions, he took Elijah in his arms and rocked him until he was asleep again.

The next morning, Sean woke first, and unwilling to wake Elijah, lay in bed and watched him sleep. When Elijah woke, his eyes looked haunted, and his first words to Sean were, “I’m sorry.”

“You had a nightmare,” Sean told him. “That’s nothing to be sorry for, but I am surprised. You haven’t had one that bad in months.”

“It was seeing Pedar,” Elijah confessed.

Sean was sure he’d heard wrong. “You saw Pedar?”

Elijah shook his head. “Pedar left a comment on your blog. I know it’s stupid, but just seeing his name scared the fuck out of me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Sean wanted to know.

“I was embarrassed. He really liked your books, so I should have expected it, but just seeing it pop up like that was still a shock.”

“Why would you keep this from me?”

Elijah shrugged. “I didn’t want you to worry, and…”

“And?” Sean prompted.

“And I was afraid you’d want me to delete your blog.”

Sean had to laugh. “Don’t you know that you’re more important to me than any blog?” He brushed a lock of Elijah’s hair from his forehead and asked, “Silly boy, after all this time, don’t you know that you’re more important to me than anything?”

Elijah nodded. “It’s just that I’ve been so much trouble to you already. I didn’t want to bring you more.”

“Your trouble is my trouble,” Sean said emphatically. “That’s something else you should know by now, but there won’t be any trouble. Even if Pedar traced the – what do you call it, ISP? – there’s no way he could connect it to you. Your name isn’t on the blog, and you’re not in any of the pictures you uploaded. Pedar left a comment on the blog, no different than any of the others who did the same. He’s just a name on a computer screen, Elijah. He can’t hurt you, and if he tries, he’ll have to go through me.”

“My hero,” Elijah grinned.

“Damn right,” Sean concurred. “Now get up, you lazy creature. It’s time for breakfast.”

Across the breakfast table, Elijah still looked anxious, though he tried to put on a brave face for Sean’s benefit. If by some miracle Pedar did track Elijah down, Sean would protect him, no matter what it took. The man who had abused this beautiful soul would never get the chance to hurt him again. Sean had made that promise to Elijah. Now he made it again, to himself, a promise he would die before breaking.


End file.
